What an unforgettable night for Barcelona at Camp Nou as they went past the barrier and qualified for the CL Round of 16 finishing top of the group for a record 10th consecutive season in CL.
Messi tied on the 4th place with the Legendary Portuguese striker Eusebio (Benfica) for scoring the most no. of goals scored at one club after he scored his 473rd goal for FC Barcelona.
It was the 22nd game of the season and the first in which all the six new signings comprising Cillessen, Umtiti, Digne, Denis Suarez, André Gomes and the striker Paco Alcácer started together.
Many positives to take out from the game after the Spanish champions drew at home against the Liga leaders Real Madrid.
Barcelona set another record in UCL as 993 passes attempted by the reigning Spanish champions was the most in a single CL game since the stat was first recorded in the 2003/04 season - beating their own record of 971, set against Rubin Kazan back in 2010 at the height of Pep Guardiola's tiki-taka reign.
Barcelona displayed one of the finest performances this season without the likes of the first team regulars Neymar, Rakitic, Suárez, Pique, Ter Stegen, Busquets and Sergi Roberto.
As the duo of Neymar & Rakitic were suspended for the game, Suárez stayed on the bench
whole game to give Paco some first team playing time.
Whereas Pique, Roberto, Busquets and Ter Stegen were rested for the game.
Arda played brilliantly at left wing scoring his first ever Hattrick for Barcelona, and assisting one to Messi before halftime, the Turkish captain showed how important he is for Luis Enrique's side.
It was a game for Aleix Vidal to give his best in regaining the lost faith of the manager, which he impeccably showed with his performance assisting one and setting Denis Suarez to give another for Arda Turan, his pace at the wing and crosses were worth the appreciation from the manager after all the months he went without playing a single minute.
Vidal is all calm and happy for his future at the club after all the negativity he went through these past months, "It would be stupid to want to leave this team," he said and he denied that he has a bad relationship with his manager: "Sometimes the press make things more difficult than they are. If there's a manager with whom you can change things, it's Luis Enrique."
Luis Enrique was full on praise for his player after the game, "Aleix Vidal has been spectacular with and without the ball, I am delighted."
"How many more players climb on the bandwagon much better".
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